


John's List

by Vagabond



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-11 22:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagabond/pseuds/Vagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John has a list and it helps keep things in perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	John's List

**Author's Note:**

> I was in the middle of writing another piece of fanfiction when this one hit me. So I took a break and vomited onto a word document. Take it as it is because I don't know where it came from. Since it is rare I ever find myself able to write anything in John's voice, I'm just rolling with it.

Over the time John has worked for Harold, he has come up with an order of loyalty, of protection. 

Harold was at the top of the list. Harold, his reclusive billionaire. The one man in this world who had been able to give John a purpose and save him from himself. Harold no doubt liked to believe that John would put the numbers above him, but it wasn't true. The numbers were nothing without Harold. John demonstrated that when his companion had been ripped away from him by Root. It was Harold he would save every time. Harold to whom he owed his life. 

Next had been Carter. If he could protect her without endangering Finch then he would. He'd failed her, though. He stood there while she was shot, gunned down by the last remnant of HR. That night was burned into his memory. He could hear the pay phone ringing, the Machine's desperate attempt to warn them. The call came too late and Carter was eliminated from his list. All that was left to protect was her memory. 

It felt strange that Fusco was third on his list. Sometimes there was such a discrepancy between his feelings for Carter and his tolerance of Fusco that a single number difference didn't feel right. Somehow, though, Fusco beat the odds and made it to the list. After all, John would be a miserable operative if he didn't care about his asset. Not to mention the fact that Fusco came when called, did more than he was asked, and was genuinely trying to be one of the good guys. In a way John had given Fusco a purpose, similar to the gift Finch had given him. What kind of man would he be if he wasn’t willing to protect what he had created? 

On some days Bear would probably find himself above Fusco on the list, but most days he came in forth. There was something about the dog that reminded John he was still human. When one kills for a living, shoots out knee caps, and faces the worst of the worst pretty much daily, it is easy to forget what it is like to be a normal person, to be truly human. Bear reminds him of that every day when he runs up to him, tail wagging, and licks his hands and face. He’d protect Bear as much as Bear would protect him.

The rest of the list is muddled because it changes from day to day. There are times where he feels like he would protect Shaw, but most of the time he realizes that she wouldn’t want that and is more than capable of protecting herself. She’s low on the list and okay with that, even if John isn’t. 

Somewhere toward the very bottom is Root, because even Finch wants to save her and John desires to keep Finch happy. He trusts Finch’s judgment. 

His list seems to grow as time goes on, which is disconcerting to John. It used to be easier than this. In the military anyone in uniform was his to protect and they would protect him. In the CIA he was in it for himself and sometimes his partner. As long as he could keep himself alive he could continue to protect the people of his country and that was the prime directive. Now, though, things had become complicated. 

He had friends though he hated to admit it. He had friends, co-workers, associates, and assets. People to protect, and he had a list to help him do it.


End file.
